Our View: There's still time to register to vote

The Nov. 8 election is only three weeks away, but there's still time to register to vote.

The California Secretary of State's office will accept online applications, at registertovote.ca.gov, until Oct. 24.

The application process is easy, and will take just a couple of minutes to complete. You must be an American citizen and at least 18 years old. But if English isn't your first language, or you don't feel comfortable filling out an application in English, you also can access registration information in nine other languages: Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Hindi, Tagalog and Khmer.

More people vote during presidential elections than in any other election, and interest appears to be running high for the Nov. 8 election featuring Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

But we encourage you to study the local, county and state candidates who are running for office, as well as local ballot measures. So far, our reporters have conducted 13 Facebook Live video forums with candidates for local offices. You can access those videos on our website at www.vvdailypress.com if you haven't already viewed them.

Also coming up next week, we will conduct one final Facebook Live forum with the candidates for San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor: incumbent Robert Lovingood and challenger Angela Valles.

That forum is set for noon on Oct. 26 and will be available for viewing live on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/vvdailypressnews, or later on our website.

While the presidential election is the one most people are thinking about, don't neglect the local races for City or Town Council or school boards. These elections will shape the High Desert for the next four years or even longer. It's important to elect candidates that share your vision for your community and your schools.

Voting is a precious right in our democracy. We hope you will take it seriously, do everything you can to educate yourself about the candidates and issues and take the time to go to your polling place on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

If you don't know where your polling place is, contact the San Bernardino County Office of the Registrar of Voters at 800-881-VOTE or visit the website at: www.sbcountyelections.com/Voting/PPL/2016/1108.aspx.